Battery terminal connection



Oct. 16, 1934. F scl-l 1,977,179

BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTI ON Filed June 19, 19:55

A W ll/m QLEEQT L. #7501 gwva/wtm Patented Oct. 16, 1934 1,977,179 BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTION Albert L. Fisch, Garwood, ldaho, assignor to Clarence E.Robertson, Hayden Lake, Idaho Application June 19, 1933, Serial No. 676,465

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to an improved battery terminal connection between the binding post of the battery and the terminal of the readily be released .from the post preparatory to l withdrawing or detaching the terminal from the post, and by the use of the invention a tight grip of the terminal on the post is insured, and loosening of the parts due to vibrations is avoided. In construction and operation the device is simple, and readily understood and manipulated, and while the deviceis inexpensive in cost of manufacture, it is durable and reliable in use. The invention consists in certain novel combina- ,tions and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention, and a slight modification thereof,

wherein the parts are combined and arranged ac- -cording to the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention, but it will beunderstood that further changes and alterations may be made in the exemplified structure, within the scope of my 1 claim without departing from the principles of my Figure l is a top plan view of a battery terminal connection embodying my invention and.

showing the device locked on the binding post.

- Figure 2 is a detail sectional view at line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional detail view at line 3 -3 of Figure 1 showing also a portion of a battery. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the combined latch-lever or locking device, detached.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the device embodying my invention showing it in open position with relation to the binding post and illustrating a pivoted clamp arm on the terminal as difierentiated from the arms of Figure 1.

In order that the general relation and utility of parts may readily be understood I have shown in Figure 3 a portion of a battery cell indicated as 1 in. which a portion of the grid is shown at 2, s5 and the binding post 3 of the cell lsindlcated as an inwardly tapering post. The cable or wire 4 is provided with the terminalfi that fits about the binding post, and the two clamp arms 6 and 7 are drawn together to clamp the terminal on the post.

In Figure 1 the terminal and arms are illustrated as fashioned of resilient metal to permit slipping the terminal on and off the binding post 3. In Figure 5 a slight modification is shown in the construction of the terminal, and the arm 8 95 is pivoted or hinged at 9 to the terminal. The construction of Figure 5 is particularly applicable for use where the binding post is tapered inwardly, as in Figure 3, for the reason that the hinged arm 8 may more readilybe applied to the post with the rigid arm 6, than could be accomplished by spreading the resilient arms 6 and 7 preparatory to slipping over the larger end of the inwardly tapered post. I

The free ends of the arms 6, 7, and 8 are each provided with a bolt hole, and a threaded bolt 10 is passed through. the perforated arms 6 and 7, or 6 and 8, for use in clamping the terminal on the binding post. The bolt is provided with a clamp nut 11 located at one side of the terminal, 30 and at the oposite side of the terminal a clamp lever 12 is mounted on the end of the bolt. This lever, as indicated in Figure 4, is semi-tubular, or U-shaped in cross section, and at its pivot end is fashioned with a pair of spaced, flat cam-heads 13 that are arranged to straddle the end of the bolt and to frictionally engage against the outer face of the arm 7 of the terminal, or against the outer face of the arm 8 in Figure 5. The straddling cam heads provide a wide bearing against -9 the face'of the terminal arm, and they are perforated at 14 for pivotal engagement on the pin 15 that passes transversely through the bolt and through the cam heads. The cam heads provide an eccentric action against the clamp arm when 95 the lever 12 is turned on its pivot, and the arms 6 and 7, or 6 and 8, are thereby clamped on the binding post. By means of the nut 11, the two arms may be brought into approximate clamped position onthe binding post, and then by swingmg the open lever from position of Figure 5 to closed position of Figure 1, the two clamp "arms are positively clamped on the binding post. The nut may be adjusted on the bolt, by hand, and the use of a wrench or other tool is not required in this adjustment, and as the clamp lever is also manipulated by hand, it will be apparent that the necessityfor employment of a tool or tools is dis-- pensed with in making the connection, as well as in disconnecting the terminal.

The lever, when in locked position, is parallel, or substantially parallel with the bolt, and, while the cam engagement of the two heads 13, 13 with the arm, is usually sufficient to retain the cams in locked position, additional means are provided for latching the lever to-the end of the bolt opposite to its pivot end. Thus, near the free end of the lever I provide a pair of spring or resilient jaws 16 and 17 integral with the lever, and these jaws are located in proper position to snap over the end of the bolt 10 as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, when the lever is turned to locked position. The lever is thus provided with auxiliary means for preventing accidental turning on its pivot.

For locking the nut 11 against accidental tuming when the terminal is clamped on its binding post, I provide two flanges 18, 18 integral with the lever. These flanges have straight edges and they are of sufficient length andare properly disposed in position to engage a flat side of the nut 11, as in Figure 1. Thus, after the nut has been properly adjusted by hand, and the clamping lever has been turned to locked position, these flanges frictionally engage, with a wide bearing,

against the face of the nut adjoining the lever,

location of the terminal from the post. If, however, the terminal is employed on an outwardly tapered binding post, i. e. a post with its minimum diameter at its upper end, the device of my invention is reversed as to its position in the drawing, or turned over, to adapt it to the pointed type of post.

In the drawing the locking lever is shown in horizontal position, with its pivot 15 in a vertical plane or perpendicular to the battery, but it will be apparent that lever may be turned to vertical position, i. e. with its pivot in a horizontal plane, or the lever may be turned to other angles between these two right angles. In Figure 3, the lever is indicated in dotted lines above the terminal to show its upright position when such position is made necessary by the arrangement of the binding post in relation to the battery.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The combination with a terminal having a pair of perforated clamp arms, a threaded bolt mounted in the arms, and a nut on the threaded end of the bolt engaging the outer face of one arm, of a lever pivoted on the opposite end of the bolt, a cam head on the lever engaging the outer side of the other arm, a pair of spring jaws on the free end of the lever for frictional engagement with the threaded end of the bolt back of the nut whereby the lever is held in locked position, and a pair of spaced flanges on the lever for engaging the nut to hold the latter against accidental turning.

ALBERT L. FISCH. 

